Prosthodontics is the dental specialty concerned with artificial replacements of missing parts of the mouth and jaws, in particular of teeth and parts thereof.
In prosthodontic procedures designed to implant a dental prosthesis in the intra oral cavity, the dental site at which the prosthesis is to be implanted in many cases needs to be measured accurately and studied carefully, so that a prosthesis such as a crown or bridge, for example, can be properly designed and dimensioned to fit in place. A good fit is of the highest importance to enable mechanical stresses to be properly transmitted between the prosthesis and the jaw, and to prevent infection of the gums and so on via the interface between the prosthesis and the dental site.
In the prior art, the dental site is prepared by the dental practitioner, and a positive model of the site is constructed using known methods. Alternatively, the dental site may be scanned to provide 3D data of the site. In either case, the virtual or real model of the site is sent to the dental lab, which manufactures the prosthesis based on the model. However, if the model is deficient or undefined in certain areas, or if the preparation is not optimal for receiving the prosthesis, the dental technician has a more difficult job ahead than otherwise, and may result in less than optimal design for the prosthesis. In some circumstances, the model is rejected and the dental practitioner must re-scan the dental site, or must rework the preparation, so that a suitable prosthesis may be produced.